Williams Develops Platform That Could Revolutionize Electric Cars

The concept is designed to make electric cars lighter, safer and more efficient to extract longer ranges and better performance.

Automakers are working towards an all-electric future, but the required battery technology hasn’t been fully developed yet. Formula One engineering company Williams is trying to speed things up with the reveal of a new lightweight chassis that could potentially revolutionize electric cars. Called the FW-EVX, Williams says the electric chassis has “reimagined how electric cars are designed and constructed” to make electric cars lighter, safer and more efficient, thus extracting longer ranges and better performance to make EVs more desirable.

Considering this is the same company that’s helping Singer make an insanely powerful air-cooled 911 engine, Williams has captivated our attention. The EV platform is still a concept for now. To make it as lightweight as possible, Williams engineers have created carbon-fiber reinforced suspension components that provide up to 40 percent weight reduction over a conventional aluminium wishbone. Helping the battery performance is a unique production process that uses 2D materials to form a high-strength 3D exoskeleton for the battery module. The design of the battery pack and cooling systems have been integrated together into one single, scalable platform.

"Vehicle efficiency has always been core to Williams – whether it be in Formula One or with Williams Advanced Engineering's customer projects," says Williams' Technical Director Paul McNamara. "These technologies, and our thinking around how to create a tightly integrated, light-weight chassis and powertrain package, have the potential to greatly increase the competitiveness of the next generation of electric vehicles. By making EVs more attractive to consumers, we can help accelerate their adoption and the air quality benefits they bring."

“This represents a new direction for Williams’ advanced engineering business, as its own R&D team has developed the proprietary innovations and has submitted patents for a number of the inventions,” Craig Wilson, Williams Advanced Engineering Managing Director adds. “We believe there is a high potential business opportunity here, and are excited to see where this could take us.” The FW-EVX concept chassis will be displayed at the Low Carbon Vehicle Show in Millbrook, UK, from September 6 to September 7.